I don't think anyone can speculate what will happen with respect

When Ken Salazar declared, “I don't think anyone can speculate what will happen with respect to oil prices and gas prices because they are set on the global economy,” he was not merely speaking as a statesman; he was giving voice to an ancient truth: that some forces lie beyond the grasp of even the mightiest of men. His words carry the humility of wisdom, for they remind us that while human beings may build, plan, and strive, they remain bound by the vast and shifting tides of the world.

The matter of oil and gas prices is not, as he teaches, a question of a single nation’s will or a single ruler’s decree. These prices are governed by the great web of the global economy, a vast and unseen marketplace where nations trade, compete, and conspire, and where wars, droughts, inventions, and disasters all leave their mark. To imagine one can predict such movements with certainty is to imagine that one can command the winds or set the stars in their courses. Salazar’s wisdom lies in his refusal to speculate where certainty is impossible.

History is rich with examples of the folly of overconfidence in markets. Recall the oil crises of the 1970s, when political strife in the Middle East sent shockwaves across the world. Leaders who believed they could shield their nations by decree found themselves humbled as prices soared, economies staggered, and the people endured long lines at gas stations. So too in Rome, when grain shipments from distant provinces were delayed by war or storm, even emperors trembled before the hunger of the mob. These examples echo Salazar’s truth: no ruler, however powerful, can escape the weight of global interdependence.

The deeper meaning of his words is not resignation, but recognition. To acknowledge that oil prices are tied to global forces is to accept that humanity’s fates are bound together. The suffering of one land, the unrest of one people, the shortage in one region, ripples outward until all are touched. The ancients understood this through the metaphor of the body: if one limb suffers, the whole body feels pain. In the same way, the modern world is one body, its economies interwoven, its lifeblood flowing through trade and shared resources.

There is also a moral lesson here. To understand that no one can perfectly speculate is to cultivate humility. Too often, leaders and individuals alike place false confidence in predictions, thinking themselves masters of forces greater than their wisdom. But Salazar’s words remind us: humility is the beginning of wisdom. Better to prepare for uncertainty, to act with prudence and foresight, than to trust blindly in forecasts that cannot be fulfilled.

For us, the teaching is timeless. In our own lives, we often face forces beyond our control—markets, health, weather, the actions of others. We cannot always dictate outcomes, but we can choose how to prepare, how to endure, and how to adapt. Just as no nation can fix the price of oil alone, no individual can command every detail of life. Yet strength lies in accepting this truth and moving wisely within it.

Practical wisdom follows: do not rely solely on predictions, but build resilience. Save for times of scarcity, diversify your skills, and live with the awareness that fortune can change swiftly. On a larger scale, nations too must seek alternatives, investing in new energies and strategies, so that dependence on forces beyond their control does not lead to ruin. Whether in personal life or global policy, the path forward lies in humility, foresight, and preparation.

Thus, Salazar’s words are not a counsel of despair but of realism and wisdom. The global economy is a storm no one can fully command, but those who accept its power and navigate with care may still find safe harbors. Let us then live not as masters of fate, but as wise sailors upon its vast seas—alert, prepared, and humble before the forces that shape our world.